Sacramento daily record-union. [volume] (Sacramento [Calif.]) 1875-1891, 1887-10-01
OLD MEXICO.
THE CASC4RONE CUSTON-RALL.
ROOM FR0LICS.
An Important Find A Family of
Embalmed Aztecs-Recejpts
for manipulating.

Special Correspondence of the RECORD UNION.
CITY OF MEXICO, September 1887.
The stranger in Mexico, especially if he
be young and good-looking, is liable to be
considerably surprised at his first ball here,
when some pretty senorita, whom he has
never seen before, trips up TO him with an
engaging smile on her face and something
that looks like an egg in her hand, and
suddenly smashes the latter over his era
mum. To one not acquainted with the
cascGrone custom, it is startling, to say the
least. Luckily, however, the egg has been
robbed of its usual interior, the original
contents having been emptied through a
small hole at one end The shell is then
filled with finely chopped tinsel and col
ored paper, perhaps with the addition of
perfumed satchet-powder, or some dainty
trinket; after which the opening is neatly
closed by a bit of paper pasted over it.
In the good old days of the Spanish airs
tocracy, the egg shells to be used by proud
grandees at swell fandangoes, were filled
with gold and diamond dust. Similar ex-
travagances are sometimes INDUCED in
nowadays but rarely. Occasionally small
gold coins, charms, pearls, opals, or spiced
candies STUFFED in with the chopped tin
sill, making the advertisement rather ex-
pensive. One can buy verys pretty casca-
rones, however, for about dollar per
dozen, and il is quite the correct thing for
a belle or beau to go to a ball armed with
several dozen of them.
Often the shells are hand-panted or
otherwise beautifully decorated much like
Easter eggs in the North Society matrons,
who propose giving balls during the cas-
carone season, have the shells of all the
eggs used in the household carefully saved
for the purpose, and many an hour is spent
by herself and friends in filling and deco
rating them.
On another's head is considered compli-
ment to the recipient, who feels in duty
bound to return the honor at the first OPP
portunity. Previous acquaintance is not
essential, it being of itself a sort of in
formal introduction. Thus any Mexican
lady may literally make mash" on any
stranger gentleman who pleases her, and
without offending her countrymen's ex-
tremely sensitive notions Of propriety.
1t is intended to merely crush the shells
in the hand and scatter their contents
over the person, but more frequently in
the haste and excitement CT their mock
battles-which generally occur between
dances-the shell is whacked against the
head with more or less unconscious force
on the part of the bestower. When some
adventurous maiden cracks the first casca-
rome over the pate of the man of her
choice, the contagion quickly spreads and
soon everybody is pursued and pursuing,
like Northern schoolboys in a snowballing
bout.
a few weeks ago a party of miners who
were out prospecting among the Sierra
Madres, near the ella river in Arizona,
made a grand discovery-not of gold, but
something more remarkable. In 4 lone
some gorge of the mountains, where moth
ing indicated that man had ever been their
attention was attracted by a peculiar ar
rangement of the rocks. 1t looked like ma
ture; but having thrust their picks into
the crevices and detached the pile, it
proved to be
sEPULCHER,
Which had evidently been constructed
with care at some remote period. Inside
the cairn were number of mummies, in
wonderful state of preservation. and of
make superior to those of Egypt. There
were mummies of all sizes and both sexes
and so perfect had been the process of their
embalming that the hair is intact, and the
muscles still stand out prominently. Each
figure was wrapped round and round in
cloth-that yet retains 1t brilliant color
! ing, though so ancient that the outer lay
ers crumbled when touched.
The features are Enthusiastically of the
f! Aztec type, and the dried-up faces show
such a decided family likeness" that all
beholders declare the tomb must have
been that of some Indian monarch or
| chieftain and his immediate relatives.
There was the King himselC-a giant fig
ure-wrapped in gorgeous cloth, which
shows traces of having been inwrought
with feathers and embroidery, his neck
| hung with rows upon rows Of shells and
perforated stones, strung upon leathern
thongs Close beside him was little
woman, in wrappings of finer texture and
softer coloring, with ornaments Of gold and
| silver upon her breast and a mummified
infant in her arms. The eight or ten other
figures may have been the children of this
pair, or their relatives or servants.
! But however great our curiosity, there
is not even hieroglyphic to tell the story,
and the feshless lips keep well their secret
Inside the sepulcher were found many or
naments, mostly of stone and she'll, and
something in beaten silver having the APP
pearance of rude masks one for each
mummy In the immediate vicinity the
osseous remains of great number of
horses were scattered about, which, no
doubt, had been sacrificed during the
funeral ceremonies. 1t is not unlikely
that the Chief died first, and his wife and
the others were sent, per force to accom-
pany him to the happy hunting-grounds of
| their gods.
The relics were carefully packed and
! shipped to local scientist in San Fran
cisco, who, it is hoped, will place them in
some museum. Those who insist that the
ancient. Aztec civilization which the
| Spaniards destroyed sprang from the pre-
historic Asiatic can now strengthen their
theory of
COMMON ORIGIN
| With tba Eovptiou or ('ha Idaanio civil;